Former 76ers vet Tobias Harris is showing the same flaws in new colors

With the Detroit Pistons off to a pedestrian 2-2 start to the season, a face familiar to 76ers fans is drawing the ire of the Pistons faithful. 

The Pistons surprised many last year by making the NBA playoffs for the first time in six seasons and playing the heavily-favored New York Knicks tough in the first round. A big part of that resurgence was steady play from offseason veteran acquisitions like sharpshooter Malik Beasley and former 76er forward Tobias Harris. 

Harris joined Detroit in free agency as a culmination of the 76ers’ season-ending loss to the Knicks, a series capped by his infamous scoreless Game 6 at home. For Philly fans, it was a fitting end to his time with the franchise.

Pistons fans are learning what the 76ers have known for years with Tobias Harris

Despite being a steady veteran presence for the 76ers in his 6 seasons in Philadelphia, fans grew frustrated with Harris’ performance compared to the superstar-level contract he was on. Harris arrived from the Clippers as a 20-point-per-game guy, but never hit that mark again in Philadelphia. His reluctance to reliably shoot threes, coupled with his tendency to disappear in big moments, like the aforementioned Game 6, drove fans, myself included, insane.

Oh, and he somehow never took a charge across the 378 games he played in a 76ers uniform, as one fan pointed out here:

Now, it seems Detroit fans are beginning to experience that same frustration.  

Tobias has not had a good start to the year. Harris is averaging just 11.8 points per game so far, and is shooting a putrid 31.6 percent from three and 40.7 percent from the field overall. Harris is being paid like a quality starter, but his performance so far is reminiscent of a middling role player. 

Things went from bad to worse on Monday night against the Cavaliers, with what was arguably Harris’s worst game of the young season in the Pistons' loss. Despite starting the game, Tobias ended up contributing just 18 minutes after racking up a team-high five fouls. While he was on the court, he had a negative impact, going just 2-8 from the field for 10 points and finishing as a -18, which was the worst mark among Detroit’s starters. 

And it’s plays like this that I am sure have Detroit Pistons fans shaking their heads. 

The season is still young, but for now, Detroit fans are getting a crash course in what 76ers fans have known for years — that the Tobias Harris experience brings more frustration than it does celebration.